Prog. Candidates Split Views On Party Direction

(Host) The
two candidates seeking the Progressive Party's nomination for Lt. Governor have
different visions concerning the future direction of the Party.

As
VPR's Bob Kinzel reports, the question is whether or not the Progressives
should form alliances with liberal Democratic candidates.

(Kinzel) There's
been a trend developing with some Progressive Party candidates in recent
elections.

That
trend is for the candidate to run in the Democratic primary and emerge as a
candidate of both parties.

Tim
Ashe used this approach to win a state senate seat in Chittenden County in 2008 and Anthony Pollina is hopeful that it will
help him win a senate seat in Washington County this year.

Marjorie
Power is seeking the Progressive nomination for Lt. Governor. Speaking on VPR's Vermont Edition, Power
said that if she wins the primary election, she'll consider stepping aside in
the General Election:

(Power) "It is my desire to be Lt. Governor. However, I am rational enough to believe
that it is unlikely and therefore I will reserve the right to review the
situation after the primary and to make a decision as to what I feel is best
for the state of Vermont."

(Kinzel)
Power says the key is whether or not the winning Democratic candidate supports
most of the key priorities of the Progressive Party:

(Power) "... And has a better chance of winning
than I do myself ... Then it seems to me that it would be for the greater benefit
of the state of Vermont for me to withdraw."

(Kinzel)
The other candidate in the Progressive race for Lt. Governor is Boots
Wardinski. He thinks it's a mistake for
the Progressives to join with liberal Democrats:

(Wardinski) "Many of the Progressives seem to have
more of a kinship with the Democratic Party than they do with their own.
Anthony Pollina is in the Democratic primary, Peter Clavelle did, two
candidates for statewide office have said that they will step aside if there is
a Democrat that they can support and some of the functionaries of the Progressive
Party have already endorsed Doug Racine."

(Kinzel)
And Wardinski says he's running to encourage the Progressive Party to return to
its core principles:

(Wardinski) "I think that I would be the one person
that would actually speak for alternatives, Socialists, more left wing
policies."

(Kinzel)
This race could be decided by a relatively low number of voters. Past contested
Progressive primaries have generally drawn fewer than 2,500 voters.